Danny Steinmann
The director who brought Friday the 13th: A New Beginning to the screen, ending his film career with a troubled but financially successful sequel.
Danny Steinmann (January 7, 1942 – December 18, 2012) was an American film director. He made his debut as both writer and director with the hardcore porno picture High Rise (1973), using the alias Danny Stone. Steinmann was a production associate on Arthur Hiller's The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) and an associate producer on the Gene Roddenberry made-for-TV supernatural film Spectre (1977). He also headed a production company in Puerto Rico that made TV commercials for International House of Pancakes, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Wesson Oil.
Steinmann directed and co-wrote the horror film The Unseen (1980), attributing his directorial credit to the pseudonym Peter Foleg due to dissatisfaction with the finished version. He followed with the teen exploitation action/revenge thriller Savage Streets (1984) and achieved relatively mainstream success with the horror sequel Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985). Although a financial success, the production was very troubled and proved to be his final film.
He was announced as director for a proposed sequel to The Last House on the Left (1972), but this project never came to be.
Quick Facts
- Years active
- 1966–1985
- Occupation
- Director
- Born
- 7 January 1942
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Died
- 18 December 2012
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Lore & Background
Steinmann was born in New York City. He was an excellent athlete and, after high school, distinguished himself in soccer at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1958 to 1960. He started his filming career as writer and director of the hardcore porn High Rise. In 1980, he directed the mainstream horror-thriller film The Unseen and in 1984 he filmed the action-crime film Savage Streets starring Linda Blair. His last film was Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985). Steinmann died on December 18, 2012, at the age of 70. His filmography as director includes High Rise (1973), The Unseen (1980), Savage Streets (1984), and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985). He also appeared as himself in the documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009) and posthumously in Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013).
Reader's Guide
He was born January 7, 1942, in New York City and died December 18, 2012, at age 70. He attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (1958-1960), where he played soccer. His directorial debut was the hardcore porn High Rise (1973) under the alias Danny Stone. He worked as a production associate on The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) and associate producer on Spectre (1977).
He also ran a production company in Puerto Rico making TV commercials for International House of Pancakes, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Wesson Oil. His horror film The Unseen (1980) was credited to pseudonym Peter Foleg. He directed Savage Streets (1984) starring Linda Blair. His final film was Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), which was financially successful despite a troubled production.
He appeared in documentaries His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009) and Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013, posthumous).
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